Social Security, Medicare clash comes down to what constitutes a ‘cut’

The coming battles over the nation’s safety-net programs are beginning with an early clash over a thorny question of semantics: What constitutes a cut?

In the eyes of many Democrats, any change to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security that erodes benefits provided under current law would be considered a cut — and therefore stands as a nonstarter with liberals as Congress seeks ways to rein in deficit spending. 

Across the aisle, Republicans have long promoted a series of safety-net changes — including proposals to hike eligibility ages, reduce benefits for...